Re: Do We Perceive Beauty in an Unexpected Context

8-) … nothing further need be said.
(Oh, it's "Andy Goldsworthy" and he's an OBE. He does share his work
in more conventional means, too, besides the photographs of his less
logistically-challenging ones!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Goldsworthy)
Best,
Dennis
http://soundcloud.com/usrsbinhttp://audiozoloft.comhttp://usrslashsbin.angrek.com/
On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 1:32 PM, mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com>
wrote:
> My god you people have got it all lop-sided!
>
> I saw this "violinist in the subway" link months ago, (it seems to be a
> re-emerging meme) I couldnt see what the fuss was all about. The piece
> was
> obviously written from a " Oh what has the world come to??" second rate
> rag
> standpoint. (like the biggest selling newspaper here in Norway, one day
> its
> "Posh Spice in fat ass shock" the next its "Rape wave in Norway" the next
> its "Norway best place in the world.. Official!" ) UGH!
>
> I couldn't help but see this from 2 points of view...
>
> 1. Violin? Who knows or likes anything about a violin? I mean their nice
> and
> 'all, but if J Zee or whatever his name is, had been rapping in the
> metro..
> now THAT might have stopped a few folk, the 10,000 people who all paid
> for a
> ticket to see him, well they KNEW all about him didnt they...?
> The level of street performers is generally excellent, if you go to
> Covent
> Garden in London or Pompideu center in Paris (and occasionally in
> Egertoget
> in Oslo), you will see many many world class musicians and performers.
> (Why
> are there no knife jugglers performing at Carnegie Hall is what I would
> like
> to know!) Generally the level of Art we see all around us is very very
> very
> high! And frankely I wouldnt be sure that Joshua Bell is anywhere near as
> talented as the one string blues guitarist drunk guy that lives under a
> bridge near me.. (yes in Norway at -11 degrees).
> In England we say "its Horses for Courses" I've never know quite why we
> say
> it, but we say it at moments like this.
>
> 2.Art? OMG... Do I have to explain art now?
> OK, for the last time... there is no such thing as good Art and Bad
> Art...
> there is just lucrative art and non-lucrative Art.
> Now there ARE talented painters and genius film-makers, and oh so
> wonderful
> wonderful musicians, but the Art that they make.. is subjective... thats
> not the same thing as context. Context suggests that, placed in the right
> time at the right place, a "Good bit of Art" will be heralded rightly as
> " a
> good bit of Art". That some how "truth will out!"
> That is unfortunately not so.
> There are many many many many more GREAT artists, than ever become known
> as
> such. And the reason for that, is that there exists a business called
> "The
> Art Business" that likes it that way. If everyone was equally famous,
> then
> there would be no "supply and demand" for the Art dealers to trade their
> commodities in. Dont worry, Im NOT slamming them, I love Art galleries,
> I'm
> lazy, I LIKE to be told what is selling at the moment, it is after all...
> interesting. and I often see things I LOVE... I LOVE Gilbert and George,
> I
> love Joseph Beuys, I love Frida Kahlo. It great to be told that Joshua
> Ball
> is a great violinist, I didnt know that, now I do! And as someone
> mentioned
> correctly earlier in this thread, I wouldnt KNOW he was great, if he hit
> me
> over the head with his Strad... Well actually then I might take note...
> Back to context. Artists, especially conceptual artists have been
> investigating this very idea / problem, whatever it is, for decades. Karl
> Andre made huge headlines in Britain because the Tate Gallery bought his
> "pile of bricks". He was playing with exactly that, what is Art, are
> bricks
> Art on a building site?, what if we put them in a gallery? Is it Art now?
> Also... Goldsworthy (sorry forgot name, could google but on a roll, you
> do
> it...) Yes Goldsworthy, he walks off into the wilderness, and makes
> beautiful arrangements of stones, in strange circles, or sews leaves
> together in complex tapestries, or builds tentative teetering Ice
> arches, NO
> ONE will EVER see them, but him.. except... wait for it... wait for
> it... He
> photographs them, and publishes them in very expensive coffee table
> books.
> Again.. whats the Art? The 500 living yellow ladybirds he has collected
> and
> arranged in a perfect square, for a few seconds, OR the photograph?
>
> I have been to rock concerts where I have been so bored, I felt like I
> was
> walking past, and then again, Ive heard interesting pinging noises on
> telphone wires and stopped to listen for a while, if they had hats, I'd
> put
> money in!
>
> There is Art and music around us all the time, beauty and wonder in every
> blink of the eye, I don't think there's much to be surprised about, if we
> walk past some of it.. do you?
>
>
> --
> Mark Francombe
> www.markfrancombe.com
> www.ordoabkhao.com
> http://vimeo.com/user825094
> http://www.looop.no
> twitter @markfrancombe
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/24478662@N00/
>